Fastening means for billiard table slates



Nov. 9, 1943. A. F. DEBlciKl 2,333,709

FASTENING MEANS FOR BILLIARD TABLE SLATES l Filed June 5, 1942 mnnl 4.12.1 A

Patented Nov. 9, 1943 FAsjrizNmG MEANS Foa BIIJJARD 'raisinsV `SLATES YAlfred FQ Debicki, Muskegon,l Mich., assigner to The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company,

Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Delaware- Application June 5, 1942, serial No. 445,338 i (c1.V 2173-6).

' 5 Claims:

This invention relates to the slate commonly employed as the bed of a billiard tableand it is concerned principally with fastening means designed to engage the slate for connecting it'with other parts of the billiard table structure. v

One object of the invention isy to provide new and improved fastening devices for connecting the slate or like material cfa billiard table to other elements of the table structure.

Another object of the invention" is to provide a fastening device-'in the nature of a nut and bolt in which the nut is embedded in the slate and retained therein without the use of molten lead or other plastic anchoring means.V

A further object of the inventionl is to provide a billiard table slate bed with means for securing a rail tothe'edge of the bed comprising a threaded tube iitted intoabore in the edge of the slate and anchored therein by means of `a `cross-pin engaging the body of the slate.`

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide, in combination with a billiard table slate bed `and a Woofdersupport therefor, a

fastening device which-"includes an internally threaded tube tted into 'a bore extending into the edge of the-slate andlancliored by aV transversely extendingscrewpassing through the body of thetube and through the `slate into the Wood-` en supporting structure, wherebythe anchoring screw for the tube servesi'also' to secure the slate to the support, while the threaded' tube acts as a nut for a bolt to`fasten a rail memberagainst the edge of the slate. V f Other objects and advantagesof the invention will appear from the' following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Figure l'is a partial `planyiew showing the top surface of. a billiard table slate-bed in relation to the'cushions and adjacentparts of the table and indicating the location of certain fastening means embodying this invention; j

Figure 2 is a vertical `detail section taken substantially` as indicatedat line 2'-.2 Von Figure 1 but on a larger scale; f 1

Figure 3 isa verticaldetail section takenxas indicated at line 3-3` on Figure 1-andlalsoon a larger scale; l i

Figure 4 is a detail plan section cated at line 4-4 on Figure 2; Figure 5l is a detail section taken as indicated at line 5 5 on Figure'l'.. 1" i Figure 6 is a section taken as indicated at line 6 6 on Figure 5.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, the embodiments shown in thetdrawing anddescribed hereinafter are by way of preferred illustration onlyand itllis 'not'intended that the invention be limited thereto or thereby; but it is the intention to cover all modifications and alternative taken, as indiconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of th'e"`inventi`n as defined by the appended claims. i" L y Inithefconstruction of billiard tables it is usual to employ panels of naturalslate, or, insoine cases;V of ai manufactured composition having some similar propertisgtoserve' as the Utable bed, the upper surfacsof'these panels being faccurate1y"planed and being covered with felt or like material, over which -theffballs roll in" the course'nf the game. Tlieslate panels are commonly supported onf'ul'iderlyinglA wood panels or Wood framingor both, and the laterallydisposd resilient cushions and theirH supporting rail are attached tothe edges -of'thelslate gbedpanels. Figure 1` shows a corner'and aL portion'ofone side of the playing eld or area of a billiard table as it'would'appear beofre applicationV of the felt covering totheslate. Portionsfoftw'o slate bed panelsV4 are shownfat' I0; '|0,` withfth'e'ir' Vadjacent edges. abutting and with their lateraledges Il, I l, in alignment` An-a'rcuate op'ening`'l2'is'formed in'one edgelof one of the panels ffr a'side pocket, and an arcuate opening I3 is formed-in the corner of the otherpanel forfoue ofsthecorner pockets.

The position. o f the,y innermost: edgeV f the side cushion isI` denoted mainly in brokenlinesat I4 With a'Portionzfthegcushqn shownyin full lines at SI5,.and-thepositionfof theA inner edge ofthe end'` cushion is indicated at lr6 in b rokerrlines.V

Figurer `2 ShOWS .2f portionv ofgthe' bed panel l il resting upon a wooden supportinggelement I l and indicates .in brokenA outline-.theposition-of the cushionl, cushion rail I8., ltopfrail-I9, vand the so-callled` blind; rail, lZll. which is attached to the edge of the slate panelllIn't'hisview the felt covering ofthe slatebe'd is shown at 2| with .its edges secured bytacks 22"tothe edgeof the wood en supporting elementjlil; j 2, Q To provide afastening'. for the blind rail?. 20, which carries withitmthe eushion rail' i8 and the top frail Hiya hole'iZS istUrstlzpred into the edge l I of the slate pan l Hl and an internally 'threaded metallic tube'4 1s inserted inwthejholej 23. A` .the Slateifv 25,1@Xte11dine vertically between itswupp'er and lower'faces and diametricuyintersecting the `hole :mi`n 1f preferredgtne ht 1es 23 andzs maybe drilled Vbefore insertion "ofj the tube 24 and a transversehole through.f the .-waujo; 'the tube `may bie ,drilled therein eitherberore 'trie tube is inseted'jii the slate or afterwards, prvided'only 'that the 'transf verse holeinf'the tune 'is inad'to registerfaccurarely with the horefzs in` the slate'rl-Iiael'upper end 'of the hole 25 istouter-sunkat' '2s t6 'receive'V the head lof a wood screw 21 which isnserted through'trrtim`1e-2s4 and through th'eholesin the waurofffthertube :'24 with.. the 'lowerthreaded end of the screw engaging the wooden support l'I. Thus the wood screw 2l serves both to anchor the OFFICE tube 24 and provided with a washer 29 under its head to bear against the blind rail 20.

In addition to the wood screws 21 there may be provided some longer screws 30, as shown in Figure 3, extending through the slate bedl I and through the wooden member I1 into an additional' wooden supporting member 3| disposed directly below the member I1. It will be understood that in situations where the location of a fastening bolt 28 for the lblind rail would coincide with points at which thev longer screws` 3l!V areemployed, such screws might serve as the anchoring means for threaded tubes 24 in the same manner as the screw 21 shown in Figure 2, in which event the screw A30 will perform three functions, namely: securing the slate to the support I1, securing the support I1 to the support 3|, and V,anchoring tube 24 for a fastening bolt 23 in the slate. But, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, the screws 21 and the screws 30 are both located substantially under the overhang of the cushion I so that any irregularity in the upper surface of the, table produced by the presence of the heads of these screws will not affect theV playing surface of. the table since a ball cannever roll onto this portion of the surface but will always strike the cushion before reaching this area. Y

The abutting edges of the panels ID, IIJ, denoted at 4U on Figure 1, extend across the `playing field, so that it is not permissible adjacentthese edges to provide fastening means which. extend entirely through the slate vbecause such means would impair thesmoothness of the top surface. Therefore, adjacent the abutting edges, at 40, the slate is secured tothe wooden-supporting members I1 by means of screws 32 extending upwardly through said members I1. VIn each of the slate panels I0 a hole 33 is drilled from the bottom surface part way through the thickness of the slate panel and there is inserted in the hole 33 a snugly fitting tube 34- ofvulca-nizedfibre or similar materiallhavingan outer surface adapted' to engage the bore of the hole in the slate with'A a firm frictional grip. The tube 34 'contains a filling of lead 35, or similar densebutreadily deformable material, and a small axial hole' isinitially provided in this lead lling. Then" when the point of the wood screw is entered in the hole in the lead, the screw'forms its ownfthread in the lead and is'driven home in thefusual manner by means of a screwdriver to the proper depth for drawing the slate bed l'firmly onto the wooden support I1. The tapered form of the wood screw 32V coupled with the fact thatit occupies'more space thanY that aiforded by the initial small axial bore in the'leaducausesthe lead to be deformed and somewhat expanded radially so as to exert pressure outwardly upon the tubular container 33 and thus increase the'frictionalgrip of the tube 33 in thelcrore of the slateby slightly expanding the tube itselft This provides a thoroughly satisfactoryl anchorage for the screws 32 in the slate ,so that they will elciently hold the slate in position on the support I1.

I claim: Y

l. In a billiard ,table a supporting member, a slate panel resting thereon, said panelhaving a bore extending horizontally inward from an edge of the panel, a .threaded tube in said bore, a screw `extending vertically through said tube and through the' slate panel into the said support, and a bolt engaging the threaded tube for connecting the slate with another member of `the table structure,

`2. In a billiard table which includes a slate panel and a support on which it rests, said slate panel havin-g a bore extending horizontally inward from an edge of the panel, an internally threade'd member and an externally threaded member engageable therewith, one of said members being fitted into said bore, and a screw extending vertically through the slate panel into said support andintersecting the threaded'member in said bore to'anchor it in the slate, the other threaded memberv engaging another part of the table structure and connecting the slate thereto.

3. In a billard table which includes a slate panel, a support on which it rests, and a cushion overhanging'the upper` surface of the slate, said slate panel having a bore extending horizontally inward from an edge ofthe panel, aninternally threaded member 4and an ,externally threaded member engageable therewith, one of said members being iitted into said bore and a screw disposed in the marginal area of the slate adjacent the cushion, extending vertically through the slate panel into said support and intersecting the threaded member in said bfore to anchor it in the slate, the other threaded member engaging another part ,of the table structure and connecting the slate thereto.

4. In a billiard table, a supporting member, a slate panel resting thereon, said panel having a Vbore extending horizontally inwardA from an edge of the paneL'an internally threadedmember and an externally threaded member having their ,threaded portionsY inter-engaged, one of saidv members having a transversev hole extending through it, said memberbeing `tted into the boreintheslate, an anchor disposed in said hole of the said member and extending downwardly through the slate into the support with which said anchoris positivelyengaged against movement in the direction of theaxis of said hole, lthe other or said threaded-members including a transaxial shoulder ,spaced outwardly from the edge of the slate panel engaging another part of the table-structure and connecting the slate therewith. p

5. In a billiard table, a supporting member, a

slate panel resting thereon, saidpanelhaving a ,v

bore extending horizontally, inward from anr edge of the panel, an internally threaded member and an externally threaded member having their threaded portions inter-engaged, 'one "of said members havingr 'a transverse' hole 'exte'nding through it, said member being fitted intol the'bore in the slate, an anchor disposed in said hole of the saidlmember extending Vertically'in the' slate and into said support, said anchor having a head at its upper end bearingr against the slate and having positive engagementwith the support which maintains said head in such bearingu contact with the slate and thus anchors the slate to the support, the other of said threaded members having a shoulder spaced .from the edge ofthe slatepanel, anda -table'rail clamped betweensaid shoulder and said edge. i f ALFRED `DEBICKIL g 

